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A Steel Man in India
by John L. KeenanWhen Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata announced his plan to set up a steel plant in India, sceptical Englishmen immediately proclaimed that they were ready to eat all the steel that India would produce. This is the story of how Tata made them eat their words – told by the man Tata hired to make it happen. Tata, Keenan declares, was a man with a vision, who saw that India must produce steel to be free and to survive in the modern world. With American engineers and Indian capital, he transformed a corner of the old feudal India into the new industrial India, and Keenan did a great deal to help him. Now a business classic, A Steel Man in India is a riveting account by a man of parts: who, in between his ‘chota pegs’, horse racing and elephant fights, soaked up Hindi and Urdu, and was a typical representative of the spirit that contributed to the making of a modern India.
Chase Your Dreams: My Autobiography
by Sachin TendulkarMy father set me free at the age of eleven when he told me ‘Chase your dreams, but make sure you don’t find shortcuts to them.’ In his career spanning 24 years, hardly any records have escaped Sachin Tendulkar’s masterly touch. Besides being the highest run scorer in Tests and ODIs, he also uniquely became the first and only batsman to score 100 international centuries and play 200 Tests. His proficient stroke-making is legendary, as is his ability to score runs in all parts of the field and all over the world. Coming from a middle-class family in Mumbai, Sachin, who was quite mischievous as a boy, grew up to show - as player and captain - how targets can be achieved and dreams can be made to come true. No wonder then, that his passion for cricket, his pride in his country and his exemplary conduct on and off the field have made him the beloved of billions and a role model for generations to come. Read his story to know the deepest details of his eventful life.
Master of Arts: A Life in Dance
by Tulsi BadrinathV.P. Dhananjayan was one of the first men to make a successful career as a Bharata Natyam dancer. In the late sixties, when he made this choice, Bharata Natyam – the classic dance form that Rukmini Devi helped evolve from the dance of the devadasis – was almost exclusively the domain of women. In making Bharata Natyam his profession, Dhananjayan had to create a space for his dance where none existed. It is only recently, in the relatively short span of the past seventy years, and to a great extent because of the creative efforts of versatile and innovative dancers like Dhananjayan, that greater number of men have performed Bharata Natyam as men, without needing to dress as women to appear on stage. As Dhananjayan’s student for nearly forty years now, and a trained dancer herself, the author, Tulsi Badrinath, chronicles the story of his brilliant life in dance with the insight of one who understands each nuance of it. Weaving her own life-long passion for Bharata Natyam with his remarkable story, she brings to light the difficulties faced by a male dancer in establishing himself in what was thought to be a somewhat unrespectable profession, and tells the compelling story of his life with empathy and understanding. Writing of his years in Kalakshetra and his departure from it; of the deep love that blossomed between him and his wife, Shanta, and the incredible dance partnership they forged, making them famous as The Dhananjayans; of his international collaborations with Ravi Shankar; and of his ability, as guru and teacher, to impart his passion for dance to his disciples, she explores her own understanding of what the dance, and her guru, have meant to her. Interspersing this remarkable tale of guru and shishya with the stories of other young male dancers in the realm of Bharata Natyam, she pays tribute to their extraordinary commitment, their talent and their courage.
Off the Record: Untold Stories from a Reporter's Diary
by Ajith Pillai‘[Ajith’s book] is the first full account I have seen between hard covers which is exclusively about a journalist’s adventures and journeys in the field... An extraordinary first “rough draft of history”, a portrait of India from the 80s to the present time.’ – Vinod Mehta ‘Ajith Pillai’s account of his journalistic odyssey covers the period of India’s Great Transformation from the 1980s to the present. He does so with incisive wit and insight into a breathtaking range of issues. This ought to be a handbook for all aspiring journalists, since Pillai is an enemy of sycophantic corporate ideology and craven submissiveness to wealth and power which characterize most of today’s celebritywriters.’ – Jeremy Seabrook, British author and columnist In a journalist’s career, the best stories can seldom be published… Veteran journalist Ajith Pillai’s colourful career spanning nearly three decades has taken him from the murky underworld of Bombay to the icy heights of Kargil; yet, the reports he has written are only half the story. Now, for the first time, the ‘off-the-record’ experiences that never found their way to print are presented in this witty and engaging memoir. Beginning with a call from a furious Chota Shakeel, Dawood Ibrahim’s right-hand man, asking him to retract a story on ‘Bhai’ or face the consequence, Ajith takes the reader on a journey that sees him guide V.S. Naipaul to meet the ‘boys’ from the underworld; follow the sensuous Silk Smitha around Bombay on a New Year’s eve; witness the first shots of Operation Vijay during the Kargil War; track, along with a colleague, a Brigadier accused of high treason across the country; stumble upon embarrassed Congressmen in Kamathipura, Bombay’s red-light district; discover who was actually pulling the strings during Vajpayee’s tenure as PM; and coordinate the coverage of the multimillion dollar Scorpene submarine scam and the sensational Radia tapes. Written with Ajith’s trademark wry humour, these real stories, often more entertaining than fiction, are a testament to a journalist’s life, as well as a comment on the changing nature of the effervescent Indian media.'
Off the Record: Untold Stories from a Reporter's Diary
by Ajith Pillai‘[Ajith’s book] is the first full account I have seen between hard covers which is exclusively about a journalist’s adventures and journeys in the field... An extraordinary first “rough draft of history”, a portrait of India from the 80s to the present time.’ – Vinod Mehta ‘Ajith Pillai’s account of his journalistic odyssey covers the period of India’s Great Transformation from the 1980s to the present. He does so with incisive wit and insight into a breathtaking range of issues. This ought to be a handbook for all aspiring journalists, since Pillai is an enemy of sycophantic corporate ideology and craven submissiveness to wealth and power which characterize most of today’s celebritywriters.’ – Jeremy Seabrook, British author and columnist In a journalist’s career, the best stories can seldom be published… Veteran journalist Ajith Pillai’s colourful career spanning nearly three decades has taken him from the murky underworld of Bombay to the icy heights of Kargil; yet, the reports he has written are only half the story. Now, for the first time, the ‘off-the-record’ experiences that never found their way to print are presented in this witty and engaging memoir. Beginning with a call from a furious Chota Shakeel, Dawood Ibrahim’s right-hand man, asking him to retract a story on ‘Bhai’ or face the consequence, Ajith takes the reader on a journey that sees him guide V.S. Naipaul to meet the ‘boys’ from the underworld; follow the sensuous Silk Smitha around Bombay on a New Year’s eve; witness the first shots of Operation Vijay during the Kargil War; track, along with a colleague, a Brigadier accused of high treason across the country; stumble upon embarrassed Congressmen in Kamathipura, Bombay’s red-light district; discover who was actually pulling the strings during Vajpayee’s tenure as PM; and coordinate the coverage of the multimillion dollar Scorpene submarine scam and the sensational Radia tapes. Written with Ajith’s trademark wry humour, these real stories, often more entertaining than fiction, are a testament to a journalist’s life, as well as a comment on the changing nature of the effervescent Indian media.'
Neta–Abhineta: Bollywood Star Power in Indian Politics
by Rasheed KidwaiIn a nation singularly obsessed with politics on the one hand and cinema on the other, the point where the two intersect arouses avid curiosity and interest. What draws the larger-than-life personalities who entertain us on screen to the world of governance and politics off-screen? Neta Abhineta: Bollywood Star Power in Indian Politics traces this phenomenon through intimate and compelling portrayals of some of the most popular actors in Hindi cinema who have, from the years leading up to India’s independence in 1947, entered Indian politics for reasons ranging from a sense of social commitment to a desperate quest for a second chance at fame when their star power dimmed. Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna, Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini, Mithun Chakraborty, Jaya Prada, Vinod Khanna, Govinda, Raj Babbar and Paresh Rawal are some of the more prominent names that feature in this engaging account involving film veterans, superstars and also-rans. Blending history with hard facts and entertaining anecdotes about personal and professional rivalries, clandestine romantic liaisons and cruel betrayals, Rasheed Kidwai’s latest offering presents a potent cocktail. With its clear-eyed perspective on the peculiar nature of Indian politics and its newfound addiction to social media, as well as fresh and fascinating insights into the power games that drive show business and politics, this book reveals what ensues when the two worlds – as intensely alluring as they are dangerously fickle – merge.
Nadella: The Changing Face of Microsoft
by Jagmohan S. BhanverAn insightful account of Satya Nadella the man and the professional and what his appointment as the third CEO of Microsoft means for the future of the tech industry. The appointment of Satya Nadella the man from Hyderabad as CEO of Microsoft Corp. has sent waves of curiosity speculation and expectation through the tech world at home and abroad. What drives the man chosen to lead tech giant Microsoft into the future? What does Nadella's appointment in particular herald for Microsoft and indeed for the tech industry as a whole? Will Satya Nadella be able to reinvent and re-imagine the company that once captured the imagination of every techie and customer in the world? Addressing these questions through reportage and incisive analysis Nadella. The Changing Face of Microsoft provides a comprehensive look at Nadella's years of growing up in Hyderabad - his family education and early influences Microsoft's recent history with particular emphasis on the organization's functioning and fortunes during the Ballmer era. Nadella's constant engagement with innovation, his stellar achievements and rise within Microsoft's ranks. Events within the organization that led to Nadella's appointment including an overview of the closest contenders for the post. The challenges and opportunities ahead for the Indian-born CEO of the fourth largest company in the world from the perspective of those been closely associated with Microsoft as well as other stalwarts in the tech industry. The changes that Microsoft has seen in the last few months and what they indicate for the direction ahead. Engaging and informative this account of the most-watched man of the moment in the IT business arena and the company he leads will enlighten as much as it will inspire.'
The Last Englishman: The Life and Times of Jack Gibson
by Laeeq Futehally‘To educate means...to lead out, not to drive in. The first problem for a teacher is...to awake interest in those he is teaching and to make them keen to find out and understand for themselves, rather than rely on textbooks… The ability to do this, indeed, is the test of a really educated man, especially in [India], where objectivity is little valued, and a large assemblage of facts is much admired.’ Widely acknowledged as the pioneer of the public school system in India, Jack Gibson’s name is synonymous with opening the doors of ‘privileged education’ for one and all. As headmaster of Mayo College, Ajmer, he singlehandedly transformed the school into the ‘Eton of India’, laying the foundation for the formidable reputation it enjoys as well as for the methods in which education is imparted in public schools today. Having moved to India from England in 1936 to join the newly founded Doon School as a housemaster, Gibson adopted the country and its people as his own. His keen mind and larger-than-life nature made him a popular leader, one who was closely involved in his students’ lives, fulfilling the roles of teacher, mentor, parent and disciplinarian all at once. Beloved by his students for his unconventional teaching methods (frequently involving picnics and treks to the nearby hills), his innate sense of fairness and his accessibility, he remained at Doon until 1953 – during which time he also served as the first principal of the Joint Services Wing, now the prestigious National Defence Academy – before joining Mayo College. For his outstanding contribution to education, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1965. Educator, visionary, coach, mountaineer, friend and, above all, an inspiration, Gibson left an indelible mark on the institutions and the people he encountered in his life. Drawing on the many memories uncovered in his writings, The Last Englishman recounts the story of an extraordinary man through stories and anecdotes from those closest to him – his boys.
Wordsmith: How I Made My Dictionary
by Emile LittreWriter, physician, philosopher and lexicographer, Émile Littré was commissioned by Hachette in 1841 to compile a new dictionary of the French language. The work, finally started in 1845, took nearly 30 years to complete, during which period France went through a great deal of turbulence. Littré wrote this companion volume, a remarkable novella-length essay, Comment j’ai fait mon dictionnaire (‘How I Made My Dictionary’), in 1880, which was translated and published for the first time in English in 1998 by a former Indian diplomat. The translation, now brought back into print by Hachette India, has been commended by Dictionaries, a journal of the Dictionary Society of North America, for being ‘accurate and conveying the original’s lively, intense effect.’ This book is a vital philological addition to the study of words and language, and an insight into the remarkable men who made such study possible by embarking on epic ventures of the literary kind.
Forest of Tides: The Untold Story of the Sunderbans
by Manisha Sobhrajani‘The Gosaba river stretched towards the horizon... It gave the impression of travelling through darkness to enter a forest of tides.’ Perhaps the most enigmatic of India’s landscapes, the Sunderbans is a land where dense mangrove forests, a sprawling delta and rare wildlife come together to form one of the most biodiverse regions on earth. Till date, it remains amongst the most difficult terrains to live in. The locals lead precarious lives, battling not only nature – in the form of cyclones and animal attacks – but also an indifferent government that provides little infrastructural support. In Forest of Tides, Manisha Sobhrajani recounts her experience of living and working in the Sunderbans supervising the construction of a charitable hospital – from adjusting to a life without basic amenities to trying to build permanent structures with fishnet and plastic bottles, while navigating the pitfalls of local politics. Interwoven with stories about the people she encounters – honey-gatherers, wood-collectors, forest officials, even a former poacher – this deeply personal account paints a richly nuanced picture of a challenging yet extraordinary land.
Pichai: The Future of Google
by Jagmohan BhanverAn incisive look into the world’s most innovative tech company and the man chosen to lead it On 10 August 2015, an unassuming product expert who learnt his ropes at IIT Kharagpur was declared the next CEO of tech giant Google. Sundar Pichai’s appointment was hardly an unexpected one. Pichai is a man known as much for his veritable Midas touch with every product he has developed or led for Google – Chrome, Chrome OS and Android, to name just a few – as for his superlative people skills and open-minded approach to innovation. Yet, the company’s decision to restructure its product lines and appoint Pichai as the head of a leaner, more focused Google, has raised inevitable questions: • What does Pichai’s role augur for the future of the tech giant? • Will Google consolidate its position for existing products or will they focus on creating new ones? • And will Pichai transform the organization that Schmidt, Page and Brin created and led, or confirm the belief of a minority of naysayers that he is not yet ready for this daunting role? Pichai: The Future of Google provides answers to these questions while throwing light on Sundar Pichai’s childhood and education; his entry into the tech world and quick rise up the ranks in Google; and his key contributions as a leader and tech-guru to Google’s most successful properties. Timely and insightful, this book offers a rare glimpse into the fascinating ecosystem of a path-breaking company and shows us what it takes to be a dynamic leader in the 21st century.
Searching for Home: Stories of Indians Living Abroad
by Simran ChawlaA compelling chronicle of what it means to be Indian in a foreign land. In an age when India is one of the strongest emerging markets and a developing superpower, tens of thousands of Indians leave the country each year to seek new lives on distant shores. What are they looking for and what do they really find? In a first-of-its-kind narrative, journalist and American expat Simran Chawla documents the contemporary Indian immigrant experience in various corners of the world – from Alaska to the UK, Europe to Africa, the Americas to the Middle East. In this book, she tells the story of families like the Singhs who farm in the heartland of Italy just south of Verona; discovers the lucrative Indian wedding industry in the Gulf or United Arab Emirates; learns about the community of ʻaunties’ in Orlando who have found meaning in their lives once again by organizing sewing get-togethers; watches a cricket match between diamond traders in Antwerp; and explores the heartbreaking price of living illegally in London. In lucid, affecting prose, Searching for Home tells the stories of people who, though separated by thousands of kilometres, share experiences that continue to bind them to their homeland.
Akhada: The Authorized Biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat
by Saurabh DuggalThe inspiring story of one of India’s greatest wrestling coaches In 2000, after the Olympic Games closed with much fanfare in Sydney, legendary wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat watched, dejected, as the prize reserved by his state government for the winner of an Olympic gold medal went unclaimed. Determined to never see this instance repeated, Phogat decided to do the unthinkable. Much to his neighbours’ curiosity, he spent two days digging a pit in his courtyard and asked his young daughters and nieces to join him there at the break of dawn one day. Little did they know that this unusual command from their father would change their lives forever. Yet, each of their wins in the ring, every ambition he had for them, came at great personal cost. In the small village of Balali in Haryana, a state infamous for its practice of female foeticide and low literacy rates, Phogat had to battle not just deep social stigma and an apathetic government but also a disapproving family and personal tragedy to train the girls in his sport. Akhada tells the remarkable story of a man of tremendous fortitude, of a father who fought against all odds to give his daughters a future they could not have dreamed for themselves.
On A Stormy Course: In the Hot Seat at St. Stephen's
by Valson ThampuWhat is the institution that the world knows as St. Stephen’s College, Delhi? Is it only an anthology of nostalgic tales, mythological anecdotes, free-wheeling assertions and transitory opinions? Or does it have a distinctive birth that defines its worth and dictates its mission? For four decades, Reverend Valson Thampu served St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, first as a member of the faculty and then as principal, significantly impacting the stature of this prestigious educational institution. The last nine years of his tenure were rife with controversy. From accusations that he was ‘Christianizing’ the college to contentious debates over his educational qualifications to allegations that he was curbing the fundamental rights of the students, Reverend Thampu faced a constant barrage of storms. In On a Stormy Course, Reverend Thampu lays bare, for the first time, the truth behind those years of tumult. Against the backdrop of the vision and ideals of the founding fathers of the institution that in turn shaped his own principles and professional ethics, he reveals how he stayed steadfast and committed to the betterment of his alma mater in the face of hostile peers, media trials and public scorn. As thought-provoking as it is searing, this account offers a ringside view of the inner life of higher academics in India, mired as it is in disruptive institutional politics and unfortunate compromise. The incisive insights it presents reveal how rejuvenating and reforming India’s higher education system could well enable the country’s venerated institutions to serve their purpose of shaping young minds and thus, ultimately, the nation itself.
The Man Who Made History: The Neeraj Chopra Story
by Norris PritamNeeraj Chopra was born into a modest family in the village of Khandra, in Panipat district, where agriculture was the primary occupation. Modern sports were virtually unknown here and Neeraj grew up as just one of the village boys playing in the fields. But at age thirteen he became the butt of jokes when he tipped the scales at around 75 kilos. Concerned, his family initiated 'Operation Neeraj Fitness' and sent him to Shivaji Stadium in Panipat every day so that he could engage in sports and lose weight. It was here that Neeraj first encountered javelin throwing. Some older athletes encouraged him to give it a try, and to their astonishment, he displayed remarkable talent. Neeraj was hooked.
Avni: Inside the Hunt for India's Deadliest Maneater
by Nawab Shafath KhanIn 2018, news that a tigress named Avni had been shot dead in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, went viral online. When the saga played out on national media, the hunters were denounced as ruthless and bloodthirsty. However, there was more to the story.For, the tigress T1, as Avni was originally named, was a man-eater blamed for 13 killings. For over two years, she had spread fear over 150 square kilometres of rural Yavatmal, prompting more than 10,000 people to shut themselves inside their homes at night. Several attempts by the forest department to capture the animal alive had proved futile, and the authorities finally brought in hunters as a last resort.Now, for the first time, Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, the man who led the operation to neutralise T1, reveals the true story behind the biggest man-eating tiger operation in post-independent India. While painting a deeply empathetic portrait of the complexities of human–animal conflicts, Khan also raises important questions about the state of conservation in India.Heart-stopping and eventually tragic, Avni tells the story of a tigress pushed to her limit and of the man tasked with stopping her at all cost.
The Fall of Kabul: Despatches from Chaos
by Nayanima BasuJournalist Nayanima Basu had a ringside view of the total collapse of the republic of Afghanistan at the hands of the Taliban. From 8 to 17 August 2021, based in Kabul but travelling outside and talking to Afghans across the political spectrum, she sent despatches of the Taliban sweeping through the country, with provinces falling one after another. Covering a hostile war zone, a woman all alone, she saw the fall of Kabul in real time and managed to get out on the last flight by negotiating with Taliban bosses. Basu transports us to the heart of the action with her vivid narration and precise descriptions of what was happening in Afghanistan at large and Kabul in particular. Through her astonishing account of how she did her reporting – from asking gun-toting civilians for help to find her way back to her hotel and being chided by the hotel employees to stay safe in an iron room to being the only Indian journalist to ever interview the 'Butcher of Kabul' – Basu tells the story of not just the wreckage of the country's present but also of the contentious past that lead to it.
Everything Changes: A Memoir
by Sreemoyee Piu KunduWhen she was four, novelist and columnist Sreemoyee Piu Kundu's father died by suicide. In her memoir Everything Changes, she embarks on a path of self-discovery by recognising the scars of her childhoodlived under the shadow of his death. In a poignant act of piecing together her early life, Sreemoyee describes being bullied in school, suffering brutal romantic rejection as a teenager, undergoing her first gynaecological surgery at the age of 19 and later being pronounced infertile. Her gnawing abandonment trauma that most survivors of suicide grapple with and an abusive first love see her leave Kolkata and land in Delhi, finding her feet as a journalist. Sreemoyee meets success in the many roles she chooses thereon, but at the heartof each triumph rests the seed of loss and change.After decades of inner conflict, in the year she turns forty, in an act of surrender, Sreemoyee performs the last rites for her biological father, finally acknowledging his simultaneous presence and absence in her life. It is an act of forgiveness and faith. Will it help her relinquish her sense of betrayal and grief over a man she never trulyknew, but whose death haunted her life? Candid and moving, fluent and unflinching, Everything Changes tells the arduous story of rebuilding one's life over and over again.
Play It Right: The Man Who Beat the Odds on Wall Street
by Kamal GuptaFOR READERS OF MICHAEL LEWIS'S THE BIG SHORT AND ANITA RAGHAVAN'S THE BILLIONAIRE APPRENTICE COMES A TRUE STORY LIKE NO OTHERHow to launch the largest hedge fund in history on Wall Street by training in blackjack All around the world, the words 'Wall Street' conjure up a powerful image-for some, the centre of America's capitalist system and for others, the home of rapacious bankers whose greed led to a global financial crisis. For a scrappy Indian-born computer scientist, however, Wall Street represented something else entirely-a chance to play in the largest casino in the world. Bored with the tech world, Kamal Gupta devoted two years of his life to the single-minded pursuit of becoming a professional blackjack player and had grown his bankroll to thirty-two times its original size, getting barred from several casinos in the process. In an unexpected turn of events, his gambling exploits brought him to Wall Street where his unique skills led to him raising eight billion dollars for the largest hedge fund launch in history. Play It Right is a darkly comic account of Gupta's improbable journey from New Delhi to Las Vegas to New York. It isn't so much a story about money as it is about human ambition and beating the odds, whether at a casino, on Wall Street, or in life.
Kalam: The Untold Story
by R K PrasadRole model. Icon. Space scientist. Missile man. Bestselling author of books that have sold in millions and been translated into every Indian language. Bharat Ratna. Besides Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. A following of millions. Dozens of other honours. The most popular President ever.In the small, exclusive world of New Delhi's power centres, however, all that can count for little with the bureaucrats who set the rules and the politicians to whom they report. In Kalam: The Untold Story, R K Prasad, his private secretary from 1995 to his death in 2015, shows us another Kalam-accomplished, successful, always modest despite the high positions he occupied, as also vulnerable and innocent. It is a journey he was part of, from Kalam's time as Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and DRDO chief, through Principal Scientific Adviser and President, and the years after the presidency. It throws new light on his relationship with political leaders, including those at the highest level, and the truth behind some of the controversies. Most of all it shows Kalam at his best, facing adversity and disappointment in a way that explains why he was what he was-an extraordinary man.
From the Village to the World: A Long Journey To Success
by Manu Patolia Kailash MotaFrom the Village to the World is the inspiring story of Manu Haribhai Patolia whose journey began from the village of Taravada in Gujarat. It traces five decades in the life of Patolia, from when he first landed in San Francisco in 1969 with only 75 cents in his pocket to establishing himself as a reputed entrepreneur and head of InvaPharm Inc. He fulfilled his dream of graduating as a civil engineer despite setbacks, and through sheer entrepreneurial brilliance built an empire worth $250 million. All the while, he continued to support his entire family and contributed to the setting up and growth of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in the US. This stirring account encourages the young and ambitious to dream big, work hard and believe in themselves in order to fulfil their goals.
At The Wheel of Research: An Exclusive Biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan
by Anuradha MascarenhasIn this exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the inaugural chief scientist at the World Health Organization who served during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anuradha Mascarenhas tells the remarkable story of a career encompassing medicine, research, decision-making and philanthropy. She provides insights into the life of the globally acclaimed researcher drawing upon interviews with her family members, particularly her illustrious father, Dr M.S. Swaminathan, close friends and eminent scientists and researchers. She includes little-known anecdotes and stories from Swaminathan's days at school, college, universities and institutions in India and abroad. Some of the questions that are posed and answered include: Why did Dr Soumya Swaminathan initially refuse a top post at the World Health Organization? What made her reconsider? How did she tackle the challenges posed by the brutal COVID-19 pandemic to emerge as one of the most trusted scientific voices in the world? Mascarenhas shows how Swaminathan's unflappable and compassionate nature, her ability to connect with people and her willingness to work with others earned her worldwide recognition. At the Wheel of Research is an inspiring portrait of an impressive leader and a physician-scientist with a big heart.
Intertidal: A Coast and Marsh Diary
by Yuvan AvesOver two years and three monsoons, Yuvan Aves pays scrupulous attention to the living world of his coastal city. The result is a diary of deep observation of coast and wetland, climate and self. Set in beaches and marshes, and the wild places of the mind, Intertidal comprises daily accounts of being in a multispecies milieu. In language that is jewel-like and precise, we hear frog calls through the night, spot butterflies miles into the ocean, find blue buttons washed ashore, see the churning of longshore currents and meditate on the composting abilities of worms. We also witness communities stand together to preserve the homes and livelihoods of the human and non-human inhabitants of the coast and the marsh. Intertidal asks us to reimagine values to live by in the here and now, heeding the living world and attending to the climate's calling, moving away from the old political, religious and cultural values that have proved to be ecologically disastrous. Yuvan Aves invites us to see beyond the binaries of sea and coast, mindscape and landscape, human and not human, self and other, and live in deep animism amid all of life.
Barefoot Empress
by Vikas KhannaDiscover the life of the remarkable Karthyayani Amma, who went to school for the first time at the age of 96 and surprised the entire country by topping the Kerala government's literacy examination with a record-breaking score of 98 out of 100. Amma hails from Haripad in Alappuzha district, where she swept the streets outside temples in her village for a living. One day, she met Sathi, an educationist, who enrolled her in school. Amma studied hard and stood first, ahead of 43,300 students who appeared for the examination. In 2019 she became a Commonwealth of Learning Goodwill Ambassador. She was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind on Women's Day in March 2020. Her inspirational story is proof that it is never too late to realise your dreams.
Siddhartha: The Boy Who Became the Buddha
by Advait KottaryHis family was happy to see him, but they had hoped to meet the Siddhartha they knew, not the Buddha he had become. Long before he became the enlightened leader, he was a boy oblivious of the world. As the young prince navigates politics and relationships, he slowly begins to question his oppressively perfect life. Meanwhile his family struggles to maintain their deception - from banishing the old and sick to hiding their own advancing age - in the hope that they can mould him into a dutiful king. In Advait Kottary's intricately woven narrative, raw human emotion and conflict is tempered with the boundless compassion of the Buddha. Exciting and insightful in equal measure, Siddhartha is at once a riveting story and a profound meditation on our shared quest for truth.